SOPHOCOLES

Sophocles of Kolōnos (c. 496 - c. 406 BCE) was one of the most famous and celebrated writers
of tragedy plays in ancient Greece and his surviving works, written throughout the 5th century
BCE, include such classics as Oedipus Rex, Antigone, and Women of Trachis.

As with other Greek plays, Sophocles' work is not only a record of Greek theatre but also
provides an invaluable insight into many of the political and social aspects of ancient Greece,
from family relations to details of Greek religion. In addition, Sophocles' innovations in theatre
presentation would provide the foundations for all future western dramatic performance, and his
plays continue to be performed today in theatres around the world.

FAMOUS WORKS:
What is Sophocles three most famous play?
The Theban plays comprise three plays: Oedipus Rex (also called Oedipus Tyrannus or Oedipus
the King), Oedipus at Colonus, and Antigone. All three concern the fate of Thebes during and
after the reign of King Oedipus.

JOHN MILTON
John Milton, (born December 9, 1608, London, England—died November 8?, 1674, London?),
English poet, pamphleteer, and historian, considered the most significant English author after
William Shakespeare.

Milton is best known for Paradise Lost, widely regarded as the greatest epic poem in English.
Together with Paradise Regained and Samson Agonistes, it confirms Milton’s reputation as one
of the greatest English poets. In his prose works Milton advocated the abolition of the Church of
England and the execution of Charles I. From the beginning of the English Civil Wars in 1642 to
long after the restoration of Charles II as king in 1660, he espoused in all his works a political
philosophy that opposed tyranny and state-sanctioned religion. His influence extended not only
through the civil wars and interregnum but also to the American and French revolutions. In his
works on theology, he valued liberty of conscience, the paramount importance of Scripture as a
guide in matters of faith, and religious toleration toward dissidents. As a civil servant, Milton
became the voice of the English Commonwealth after 1649 through his handling of its
international correspondence and his defense of the government against polemical attacks from
abroad.

FAMOUS WORKS:
Milton wrote poetry and prose between 1632 and 1674, and is most famous for his epic poetry.
Special Collections and Archives holds a variety of Milton's major works, including Paradise
Lost, Paradise Regained, L'Allegro, and Il Penseroso. Paradise Lost is one of the most
recognized works in English literature.

LEO TOLSTOY
Russian author Leo Tolstoy wrote the acclaimed novels 'War and Peace,' 'Anna Karenina' and
'The Death of Ivan Ilyich,' and ranks among the world's top writers.
Who Was Leo Tolstoy?
In the 1860s, Russian author Leo Tolstoy wrote his first great novel, War and Peace. In 1873,
Tolstoy set to work on the second of his best-known novels, Anna Karenina. He continued to
write fiction throughout the 1880s and 1890s. One of his most successful later works was The
Death of Ivan Ilyich.

Early Life
On September 9, 1828, writer Leo Tolstoy was born at his family's estate, Yasnaya Polyana, in
the Tula Province of Russia. He was the youngest of four boys. When Tolstoy's mother died in
1830, his father's cousin took over caring for the children. When their father, Count Nikolay
Tolstoy, died just seven years later, their aunt was appointed their legal guardian. When the aunt
passed away, Tolstoy and his siblings moved in with a second aunt, in Kazan, Russia. Although
Tolstoy experienced a lot of loss at an early age, he would later idealize his childhood memories
in his writing.
Early Works
During quiet periods while Tolstoy was a junker in the Army, he worked on an autobiographical
story called Childhood. In it, he wrote of his fondest childhood memories. In 1852, Tolstoy
submitted the sketch to The Contemporary, the most popular journal of the time. The story was
eagerly accepted and became Tolstoy's very first published work.
After completing Childhood, Tolstoy started writing about his day-to-day life at the Army
outpost in the Caucasus. However, he did not complete the work, entitled The Cossacks, until
1862, after he had already left the Army.

FAMOUS WORKS:
 Anna Karenina (1887) ...
 War and Peace (1869) ...
  The Kreutzer Sonata (1889) ...
 The Death of Ivan Ilyich (1886) ...
 Sevastopol Sketches (1855) ...
 Resurrection (1899) ...
 The Cossacks (1863) ...
 A Confession (1882)

FRANZ KAFKA
Franz Kafka was born into a middle-class, German-speaking Jewish family on July 3, 1883 in
Prague, Bohemia, now the Czech Republic.
Franz was the eldest of six children. He had two younger brothers who died in infancy and three
younger sisters (Gabriele (1889–1941), Valerie (1890–1942), Ottilie (1892–1943), all of whom
perished in concentration camps.

His father, Hermann Kafka (1852–1931), was described as a huge ill-tempered domestic tyrant,
who on many occasions directed his anger towards his son and was disrespectful towards his
escape into literature.
Kafka's father was a businessman who established himself as an independent retailer of men's
and women's fancy goods and accessories, employing up to 15 people.
All his life Kafka struggled to come to terms with his domineering father.
Kafka's mother, Julie (1856—1934), was the daughter of a prosperous brewer and was better
educated than her husband. She helped to manage her husband's business and worked in it as
much as 12 hours a day. The children were largely raised by a series of governesses and servants.

FAMOUS WORKS:
His best known works include "Die Verwandlung" ("The Metamorphosis"), Der Process (The
Trial), and Das Schloss (The Castle). The term Kafkaesque has entered the English language to
describe situations like those in his writing.

MIGUEL DE CERVANTES
Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes created one of the world's greatest literary masterpieces,
'Don Quixote,' in the early 1600s.
Who Was Miguel de Cervantes?
Miguel de Cervantes was born near Madrid in 1547. He became a soldier in 1570 and was badly
wounded in the Battle of Lepanto. Captured by the Turks in 1575, Cervantes spent five years in
prison. before he was ransomed and returned home. After less successful earlier efforts,
Cervantes finally achieved literary success in his later years, publishing the first part of Don
Quixote in 1605. He died in 1616.

What is considered the greatest piece of literature by the famous writer Cervantes?
He is best known for his novel Don Quixote, a work often cited as both the first modern novel
and one of the pinnacles of world literature.

FAMOUS WORKS:
What poems did Miguel de Cervantes write?
Among his most important poems, Canto de Calíope, Epístola a Mateo Vázquez, and the Viaje
del Parnaso (Journey to Parnassus), (1614) stand out. The latter is his most ambitious work in
verse , an allegory which consists largely of reviews of contemporary poets.

 La Galatea (Alcalá de Henares, 1585)

 Exemplary novels. Madrid, 1613
 The little gypsy
 The longest one within twelve o’clock focuses on the romantic relationship of a
gypsy and a young nobleman. He leaves his comfortable life to follow Preciosa,
from whom at the end of the novel it is discovered that she was kidnapped by
those who believed her blood family.

 – The Generous lover
 As in the Moorish novels, it deals with the clashes and encounters between
Muslims and Christians, although the second one stands out here. Ricardo and
Leonisa, two young men kidnapped by Moors, will face a series of tests
separately before they can meet again and realize their love.

 – Rinconete & Cortadillo
 Pedro del Rincón and Diego Cortado are two young men who flee their homes
with the intention of winning adventures and wealthiness. In that search for
freedom they end up getting involved with a horde of delinquents, representation
of the underworld of the time.
 – The English Spanish lady
 Again the rapture unleashes the development of one of the “exemplary novels”:
from Cadiz is transferred to London a seven years old girl and is welcomed by a
family that must hide its Catholic faith. It ends under the protection of Queen
Elizabeth I of England and she will give you valuable lessons about true love.

 – The lawyer of Glass
 Follow the adventures of Tomás Rodaja, a young man who comes to Salamanca
to study law and acquire new experiences. Subsequently, a disgruntled lady will
make him drink a concoction that will end up putting the idea that his body is
glass, hallucination that will give fame and reputation as a counselor.

 – The Power of Blood
 It is a story that tells the rape of a young girl and how it ends up finding the
masked men who abused her. The story begins with the abduction of Leocadia,
the subsequent outrage and the psychological damage that the young woman
would drag. The plot turns up when she discovers that she is pregnant and then
accepts motherhood.

 – The jealous Man from Extremadura
 Intense story considered one of the best in the collection. A jealous man encloses
his young wife to avoid being unfaithful. But his shrewd lover easily mocks the
slave in charge of his surveillance. Two versions of this story were published. The
one of Cervantes avoids references on the consummation of the sexual act.

 – The illustrious Kitchen-Maid
 It resorts again to the agnición, used before in The little gypsy, artifice that
consists of giving an important revelation at the end of the novel on the origin of
some of the characters. Avendaño and Carriazo form a couple of adventurers of
noble origin who meet at a inn in Toledo with a happy and beautiful maid.

 – The Novel of the Two Damsels
 Teodocia is a girl who leaves her family to go in search of the man who
disappointed her. Her brother meets her by chance and, aware of her problem,
helps her to find Marco Antonio, who also happens to have a relationship with
Leocadia. One of the most esteemed novels of Cervantes presents another
outcome in which good judgment is imposed.

 – The Novel of Lady Cornelia
 Two young Spaniards arrive on Italian soil to continue their university studies.
Established in Bologna, they receive news of a beautiful and kind young girl
named Cornelia who lives under the extreme protection of her brother. Cervantes
 traces the story with characteristics of Byzantine novel, which does not prevent
him from criticizing some of its features.

 – The Novel of the Deceitful Marriage
 Quite explicit for the time, comes to form a unit with The Dialogue of the Dogs,
which would relate what happens to Alferez Campusano after the woman with
whom he gets infected with syphilis. In this story with elements of picaresque
novel, Estefanía Caicedo hides her murky past to the military man with whom he
marries.

 – The Dialogue of the Dogs
 Once Campusano is abandoned, he ends up hospitalized and victim of extremely
high fevers that make him delirious until he witnesses the animated conversation
between two dogs. Berganza speaks to Cipión about all the masters he had during
his journey between Seville and Valladolid, a story whose structure is reminiscent
of Lazarillo de Tormes.
 Don Quixote (II). Madrid, 1615
 The works of Persiles and Sigismunda (Madrid, 1617)
 The trip of Parnassus (Madrid, 1614)
 The Algiers deals. Madrid, 1784